Darshan on wheels at world's richest temple

Bangalore: A freewheeling darshan - that's what a Bangalore company is promising pilgrims at the famed Tirupati temple in a few months from now.

No, it doesn't mean an end to the long queues at the temple that sees about 70,000 pilgrims per day but it'll at least mean a darshan devoid of pushing and jostling in the final leg of the temple's aisle, where crowd control has always been a big issue.

BNA Technology Consulting Ltd MD V Ranganathan said, "More than 50 per cent of complaints they receive is on this aspect - you don't want to be pushed and pulled. We're trying to put in a system which will move people in front of the lord at a certain speed in which they'll get a good darshan and they'll feel very comfortable that whatever time they get, is used only for darshan and not negotiating people behind you or scouts who're trying to push u.

Conceptualised by BNA Technologies, the automated moving platform is a kind of golf-cart that will run like an escalator. The first trial at a temple near Tirupati was successful the second one with about 8 of these platforms is slated in two months. If trials work out, it'll take six months to deploy these near the main sanctum.

Ranganathan added, "Per minute it can handle anything from 70 to 96 people - that's what the trials indicate. That will translate roughly to 5000 people per hour."

What technology will bring to Tirupati is at least assure pilgrims of a minimum 20-second date with your God. And it won't be one that feels like you're boarding the 6.26 peak hour train from a Mumbai suburban line.